Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:

CANTOR SUPER PAC: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will join the super PAC frenzy. The new group will aim to increase Cantor’s national profile and name recognition — a possible move to position him as the slot of vice president for one of the Republican presidential hopefuls, the National Journalreported.

The PAC will be run by Cantor’s out-going chief of staff, John Murray, who will be leaving the staff imminently to start the group.

Cantor has proven to be a very effective fund-raiser, both for his own campaign committee and his leadership PAC, which is called Every Republican is Crucial PAC. ERIC PAC was one of the biggest such PACs in terms of money raised.

Cantor’s fund-raising successes come, in part, because of his ability to tap into Wall Street money, research by the Center for Responsive Politics finds. The securities and investment industry is his largest source of funds for both his campaign committee and his leadership PAC. This year, Cantor is the No. 2 beneficiary of money from the securities and investment industry among House members — only Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) has received more.

PALIN DROPS OUT: After months of speculation and campaign-esque touring, Sarah Palin finally announced Wednesday that she will not run for president.

The former GOP governor of Alaska and 2008 vice presidential nominee told radio host Mark Levin that she was content to influence the political scene as a non-candidate, “unshackled” and “able to say what I want to say.”

One way in which Palin has exerted influence in Washington and across the country is through her political action committee, SarahPAC. Palin’s dedicated followers have kept the group well-funded and influential — during the 2010 election cycle, it raised $5.6 million and donated to scores of Republican campaigns, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics. She often gave more than any other GOP presidential hopeful, as OpenSecrets Blog previously reported.

The donations not only helped the recipients financially, but signified Palin’s stamp of approval — often providing a lift in the form of increased headlines and notoriety. Donations and endorsements boosted the campaigns of political newcomers such as Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), who received $10,000, and Rep. Allen West (R-Fl.), who received $1,000.

OBAMA MAKES LOBBYISTS RULES OFFICIAL: President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he will finalize his new regulations barring registered federal lobbyists from serving on federal boards and commissions, Politico reported.

The purpose of the rules are to reduce “undue influence of special interests” in government and “to close the revolving door between the federal government and special interests,” according to Meg Reilly, a spokeswoman for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

Obama’s new rules would require lobbyists to de-register as lobbyist or report no lobbying activity for three quarters before being allowed to sit on a commission or federal advisory board.

As OpenSecrets Blog reported previously, a report by the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest argues that Obama’s regulations would lead to groups reporting lobbying activity less often and decrease transparency. The group’s report also argued that the new rules would drive away those interested in lobbying for more noble causes, such as fighting genocide, protecting consumers and other public interest issues.

Research by the Center for Responsive Politics shows that total lobbying spending has increased every year since 1998, reaching a high of $3.5 billion last year. The Center’s Revolving Door database details the lobbyists who now work in government, as well as government staffers-turned-lobbyists.

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